Downtown liquor store to close

The Wine and Spirits store on South Main Street in Washington is set to be closed Dec. 31.
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If you’re looking for a little libation this New Year’s Eve, you might want to stock up early.

The state Wines and Spirits store at 189 S. Main St., Washington, will close at the end of the business day Dec. 31. The store, which has been open just three days a week in recent months, is not profitable and has not been profitable for years, said Liquor Control Board spokesman Stacy Kriedeman. Also closing Dec. 31 is the Brownsville liquor store at 127 Brownsville Ave. Both stores opened in January 1934.

The closings were announced following a Liquor Control Board meeting Wednesday. The board meets twice a month.

Kriedeman noted that two other liquor stores in Washington, an outlet at the Washington Mall and the store on Jefferson Avenue in Tylerdale will remain open but are scheduled to be updated.

“We’re in the process of rebranding our stores to make them more customer-friendly,” she said.

Those stores will have different color schemes, different lighting, and a central service point where customers can ask questions of the staff. That may include a tasting bar, she said.

Depending on the lease agreements at those stores, they may eventually be relocated. Kriedeman said the LCB wants to have optimum locations to meet consumer demand in Washington.

Employees at the Main Street store will be reassigned to other stores.